It had me against the ropes, doubting my abilities as a cook, wondering if I had wasted all that money buying the Fagor instead of something cheaper, but then after a long round that started Sunday night I finally claimed victory in the pressure cooking beans battle. This time it was chickpeas.
After a mushy round two a few weeks ago I sat down with Google for a few minutes and learned that America’s Test Kitchen (producers of Cooks Illustrated magazine as well as a great public television show) recommend brining the beans. That’s right. Going against all conventional wisdom that beans and salt should not touch until after the beans are cooking they recommend soaking dried beans in salt water (3/4 Tbsp. of salt per quart of water) prior to cooking the beans. I gave it a try and the results were beautiful.
I got the beans soaking Sunday night in four quarts of water with three tablespoons of sea salt. When I drained off the soaking liquid yesterday evening there was not a split skin in the entire pound of chickpeas. I exaggerate not. I rinsed them thoroughly to remove all of the salty water then dumped them in the pressure cooker as usual with fresh, unsalty water and cooked as I had been all those other times. The results were stunning. Every single chickpea remained whole and intact. Not a speck of mush was to be seen, and they are the best tasting chickpeas I have ever put in my mouth though I say it myself. I see chickpea tabouleh, hummus, and all sorts of beautiful curries in my future.
I can’t wait to try it again with another batch of black beans. Yippee!
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